A startup is more than just an elevator pitch

At West Loop Ventures, we invest in seed or Series A B2B financial technology startups that solve problems in institutional finance. The opportunity is enormous. Our founders have hands on experience with the problems they are solving. They build innovative and scalable solutions. They have a growth mindset with openness to mentorship. They also have an inside track to selling to their customers.

Source

The Midwest is home to some of the best engineering talent in the world. Electronic traders, Midwestern Universities, experienced financial services personnel and our Financial Services network bring unique sources of deal flow.

Relationships & Reputation

On the trading floor they used to say, “your word is your bond” and that ethic is core to WLV’s practice. Jeff and Kenny have developed relationships with co-investors and next round investors. They also have worked to build relationships with strategic partners that can help supercharge portfolio company businesses

Experience

Jeff helped start the new wave of early stage investing in Chicago. After being on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange board, he started Hyde Park Angels. He understands the trials and tribulations of the startup experience from beginning to end. He doesn’t have gray hair for kicks. Kenny was one of the first high frequency traders in the world. He spent years coding and creating mathematical models to trade listed companies worldwide They have a combined 40 years of FinTech experience.

Stage

Very few funds invest in seed stage B2B Fin Tech. Very few funds have WLV’s expertise and network in FinTech. Our focus is seed rounds, and Series A rounds of investment. WLV leads the seed round, sits on the board and is active. Just ask any portfolio company we invest in.

Chicago Home Base

Chicago is home to some of the biggest financial services companies in the world. 20,000 fin tech companies call Chicago home. They are our customers, and a major source of talent. Being in Chicago gives us a strategic advantage. Chicago also has one of the busiest airports in the world and WLV is investing outside of the Midwest. Even Internationally.

Industry Disruption

Our society is witnessing a rethink in how financial services are processed, reported, delivered, aggregated, and interacted with. Financial service companies are hierarchal in nature, with vertical silos, and ripe for change. Entrepreneurs with years of experience are able to utilize technology cheaply to create new opportunities and solve problems at scale that previously were difficult to handle. New technology is creating new markets. People are connected like never before.

I have known Jeff for a few years as a commercial real estate broker. I have worked with some of his clients that were looking for office space and through this, Jeff and I built a strong rapport. I have since started my own company and when we started raising money, Jeff was at the top of my target list. The knowledge and relationships he brings to the table were extremely valuable to us. But most importantly, I’ve seen how much he cares for his companies and is always looking for ways to add value. Jeff ended up making an investment in my new venture and I couldn’t be happier to have him as an extension of the team. He is a great partner. 

— Bobby Goodman, co-founder Truss, BuildTruss.com

Location

When people in the industry think Chicago, they think groundbreaking Fin-Tech. We also have the luxury of calling the city, "home".